Lilium
by kamazoth
Summary: After a botched scroll retrieval attempt, Naruto is sent into a world completely different from his own. In his search for a way home, he meets Aang and his friends, who promise to help him return as soon as Ozai's threat is eliminated. Eventual Zuko/Naru
1. Prologue

_"For every promise, there is a price to pay."_  
>Jim Rohn<p>

Night had long since fallen and Naruto had long since been separated from his team. He crouched against a tree now, clad only in the baggy black pants he'd hastily tossed on when Sakura had knocked at his door. Her own candy pink hair had been in need of a brush and she was dressed in nothing more than a loose white sleeping shirt and shorts. "We have to hurry!" She didn't elaborate, but from her green eyes, Naruto could tell the situation was dire. She grabbed his wrist and pulled him along, barely giving him time to grab his shoes.

They ran towards the Hokage's office, arriving just behind a couple of Chunin Naruto had seen around the village. Seconds after them, another team joined the emergency meeting in Granny Tsunade's presence, making a total of eleven individuals. Tsunade cleared her throat to bring attention to herself and explained the situation, but haste made for little details and once done Naruto knew nothing more than a scroll of forbidden jutsu had been stolen and how important it was to get the item back as soon as possible.

These people, Naruto realized as they rushed out, were of utmost confidence with the Lady Hokage, and for some odd reason, he felt a soft warmth at being included.

So far, there had been little improvement on their situation. Naruto had scouted the area, his eyes scanning the ground and surrounding trees as he leaped from limb to limb.

Shortly before dawn though, Naruto felt a fluctuation of chakra coming from a few miles to his left. He grinned. The thief had been engaged.

He was the last to arrive, despite the short distance, which left him hesitating to join the group's tight circle around their captive.

The thief wasn't like Naruto had imagined he would be. He was too skinny, with bones jutting out along his spine, ribs and hips. His hair was long dark and stringy, and his eyes were vacant little black dots that never seemed to rest on a single point. He was hunched over as if he'd been trapped with a low ceiling for years and by the shape of his torn up clothes, there was little doubt. What caught Naruto's eye, however, was the scroll.

In desperation, the scroll had been furled open and the nameless rouge began a series of hand signs that Naruto couldn't identify to any jutsu he'd seen before.

"Get back!" He heard Hyuga Neji's cry from within the small crowd and watched as they took a few steps away. Retreat wasn't an easy thing to do, but they managed to get a gap. "Get away!" The thief's voice was hoarse as he took an unsteady step forward, he wobbled with the obvious strain this mysterious jutsu was putting on his body.

In an instant, Naruto saw, fire flicked on the man's fingertips but no pain registered on his greasy face. The group backed away once more, the seriousness of the situation becoming apparent. The thief whimpered, either from fear or exhaustion, it wasn't clear but it seemed the ninja's surrender of space was giving him some confidence. "Get away!" He leaped now, on thin legs, reaching his hand out as if testing the fire against the others but they dodged and he stumbled forward.

As he struggled to regain his footing, the shinobi closed in again, however, this circle wasn't as tight as before. He yelled, a piercing noise that resonated within Naruto's skull and made him feel as if his brain was being rattled. He reached up and gripped his head, his fingers digging into his scalp in an attempt to calm the pain.

Through slitted eyes he saw his comrades fall to the ground, their own pain escalated by the proximity to this odd man. The scream died out but his mouth remained open. He looked around once he closed it, seemingly lost in the middle of Konoha's ninja. In sudden fright, he sprinted through the woods again, his flamed hand lighting his way and pinpointing his position. Naruto followed, his legs carrying him much faster.

He barely passed his fallen friends when he reached the thief. Naruto leaped at his target's back, wrapped his arms around the sickeningly thin waist and brought him to the ground.

He gripped tight, and froze. Sakura's distraught voice filled the air with his name. His own scream soon followed, mixing in with her's.

He forced himself to look towards his shoulder. To where the man's hand rested and where the fire began to spread onto his body.

"NARUTO!" Sakura was struggling to get to him, her balance off kilter, but Naruto had no voice to reply with now, he only knew the white hot pain that engulfed him. He couldn't breathe.

Sparks flew by his eyes briefly, then the world fell into darkness.

* * *

><p><strong>End of Chapter Notes<strong>: So, we begin _another _story, even though I have another one to work on... Next chapter, we'll hop into Avatar world. Yay~

This story is gonna have my typical estimated one chapter a month update... We'll see what happens...

**Disclaimer**: Avatar: The Last Airbender and Naruto are the property of their own creators, not mine, I'm simply borrowing the characters for a while. Thank you.


	2. Old Lady Xue

The first thing Naruto noticed was the feel of soft satin against his cheek and the delicate scent of food wafting in the air. It was an odd way to wake up, but after last night he suspected someone, Sakura maybe, had taken him home and was caring for him.

The food, however, smelled different from anything he'd sniffed before, and satin sheets weren't something he had in his house, nor something he knew Sakura to have. A very odd morning indeed.

"Sakura?" His voice was hoarse and barely audible. He cleared his throat and tried again. "Hello? Sakura?" He was answered by a lack of sound from somewhere in the house and sudden muffled footsteps approaching his location. This meant he didn't need to call out again and, grateful for that, he laid back against the over stuffed pillows and studied his surroundings.

The sheets and pillows were predominantly red and black with golden dragons and fire embroidered around the edges and corners. The room itself was almost bare save for the bed he was laying on and a heavy chest tucked against a far corner; A wooden door stood proudly next to it and a window above the bed let in the faint light of a late morning. Or, Naruto suspected, an early evening.

Naruto now doubted he was at Sakura's at all.

The door opened silently and a small woman stepped into the room, confirming his doubts. Her hair was loose, black yet streaked with the white of old age and falling straight down her back, her posture was upright and she carried herself with an authority seen only in experienced warriors. This put Naruto immediately on edge.

"_Who _are you!" He began to sit up, but she raised her hand and hushed at him harshly.

"Lay back down!" Surprisingly, her voice was solid and, despite the many layers of flowing green silk she wore, she advanced easily on the bed.

Naruto didn't disobey, he was too exhausted for that, but he remained alert. "Who _are_ you?" He repeated, his teeth gritted. She raised a delicate eyebrow at him "An ally." She offered nothing more and removed the blankets from Naruto's body. He shivered at the sudden chill and noted his lack of a shirt. "What are you doing!" He began to get up again, but the old woman jutted her fingertips into his collarbone and forced him to the bed again. If only he wasn't so weak, this woman wouldn't have been able to do this so easily!

"You were alone in the woods. Do you remember anything?" She examined his chest for abnormalities, her hands sure in their movements. "Not really." Naruto confessed, his eyes following her hands work across his skin and up to his shoulders.

"Hurts." He mumbled when she pressed too hard, but she didn't stop. "Old lady!" Naruto gripped the sheets and- "Xue." His actions came to a halt. "What?" He looked at her in slight disbelief.

"My name is Xue." She covered Naruto again. "Xue Hua, you'll do well to call me that." She patted his knee and turned away. "I'll be back with your food."

Naruto watched her leave, kept his eyes on her back until she closed the door and was lost to him. In his silence, he rested his head again.

He was obviously not in Konoha, he'd never seen that woman before, and even if she _was_ from Konoha, he was sure she wouldn't have plucked him from the forest. Few people would, he thought, his fingertips ghosting over the whisker-like scars on his cheeks.

His only survival option was to keep his loyalties a secret until he found out where he was and whether he was able to make his way home safely.

The door swung open as quietly as before and Naruto fought against his instincts to stand. The woman, Xue, was back, a large bowl in one hand and a small folding table in the other. She set the table up by the bed and placed the bowl down. "You seem better now than you were last night." She sat by him and helped him, despite his wanting to protest, up. "Still limp as a rag doll, though." She laughed a little and placed a pair of chopsticks in Naruto's hand, obviously confident he could feed himself.

"Why are you helping me?" He didn't look at her, instead he put his focus on eating, on the dipping of chopsticks into the broth and pulling put bits of meat and vegetables. He focused on getting those bits into his mouth without making a mess and on chewing the delicious meal.

Xue patted his head after a while, her fingers working into his wild blonde hair and massaging the scalp. "Why _not_ help?" She began. "You were a hurt young man on the side of the road and I am more than able to care for you." Naruto glanced at her, skepticism clear in his eyes. "Oh! Stop that!" She flicked his ear and received a satisfying 'ow' from the teen. "I may be old, but I'm not hopeless."

They sat in comfortable silence with only the occasional clinking of Naruto's chopsticks hitting against his bowl for a while. As Xue's fingers continued to slip easily through Naruto's hair, the blond felt himself relax, his body easily molding against Xue's side until his bowl was empty and his chopsticks fell into it. "S'good." He muttered, his eyes falling shut.

"Glad to hear it." Xue shifted Naruto onto the overly stuffed pillows and retired the bowl and table. She came in one last time, smiled at the sleeping blonde and left for her own room.

By the next morning, Naruto felt much better. He stretched and rolled his shoulders, working out the kinks that had developed there and in his upper back, a few joints popped and he moved his attention to the rest of his body. Once done he slipped out of bed, eager to explore the house and learn about his situation.

The house, he found, was large and open. People- servants, Naruto noted- ran this way and that, grabbing clothing and small items, their chatter running into itself, making it difficult to pick up any one piece of conversation from the rest. He turned to walk away, only to be met by Xue.

"Good morning." She offered a soft smile and a pat on Naruto's shoulder.

"Good morning..." He muttered. Standing there in nothing more than his pants, he felt very naked.

She removed her hand after a moment and studied him before calling one of the servants, a young woman, over. "He's about Bao's size," Xue figured. "Get him some of his old traveling clothes." The woman gave a curt nod and ran off on her errand.

"Who's Bao?" Naruto asked after a moment, figuring he should learn something about the man he'd be borrowing clothes from. "My son." Xue's pale green eyes lit up. "He doesn't live with me anymore, but I'll going to visit him today." That explained the packing. "I do so every year, but I didn't think I would do so this year."

"Oh?" Naruto wasn't much interested anymore, yet Xue continued, "I normally traveled with my husband but...Last month, he passed away." Her previous happiness dimmed. "I thought I shouldn't travel without him, but Bao would worry if I didn't show up, and a letter wouldn't reach him in time to avoid that."

Now, Naruto is a creature of impulse, and impulse can be a dangerous trait. It's how the teenager has gotten himself into many dangerous situations and how he's managed to get himself into yet another one, "I'll go with you!" Naruto held his fist over his heart, feeling that no other course would be acceptable.

Xue, being a much more reasonable woman, refused with a stern. "Nonsense!" And she dismissed the matter with a wave of her hand.

Naruto, however, refused.

"Why not?" He crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes, his pride obviously hurt.

"Your hair is oddly colored." Her hands flew to her hips. "And your eyes are so bright you'll bring unwanted attention."

The comment took him aback, but Naruto persistent. "I don't care, I'm coming!"

"You should go home!"

"_After _you're with your son!"

Xue paused. "Young man...please, I don't need you slowing me down." Naruto chuckled at this. "Old lady, if I_ do _slow you down, you can leave me behind." She bit on her lip, paused, then answered, "...Fine."

Naruto, being a creature of impulse, pulled the old woman into a tight embrace and cheered as if she'd offered him a lifetime supply of ramen.

"Boy!" She gripped onto his arms but was unable to pry him off.

"It's Naruto, by the way." He look up at her with the biggest smile he could muster.

"Naruto?" Xue repeated, the word obviously foreign on her tongue. "My name." He nodded. "It's Naruto Uzumaki."

Xue smiled. "Well...Even your name is odd."

He wasn't bothered by her comment, he felt she said it with a fondness normally reserved for family or a close friend. "Well, Naruto Uzumaki." She gestured at the returning servant. "Care to make yourself presentable?"

He took the offered bundle of clothes and dashed back to the room he'd been occupying all of yesterday and last night.

The style of the clothing wasn't what he was used to, but it wasn't completely different. Xue and the servants wore this style, and even Tenten back home.

A changshan, if his memory was right. It looked like a long fitted shirt that stopped halfway down his thighs. Slips ran up the sides to his hips, however, and made it that much more movable in. It fastened at the base of his neck and at his right shoulder with a third tie in between these two.

The only complaint Naruto had, however, was the color. Pale green seemed like too radical a change for him.

A knock at the door pulled him away from his thoughts. "Naruto?" Xue's voice followed. "Are you ready?"

Naruto looked down at himself. Besides the changshan, which he wore over his pants, he'd been given simple black slip on shoes. "I suppose." He didn't think travel clothes could get much simpler or, he realized as he walked to the door, any more comfortable.

The many things previously packed were left in the house as they would be shipped off after them. The only things they carried were Xue's satchel and Naruto's small weapon's pouch which was safely pinned to his hip.

"Where are we off to?" Naruto linked his hands and tucked them behind his head, hopping he'd get some idea as to his situation. "Full Moon Bay." Xue smiled. "Seems to be the only way into Ba Sing Se these days."

Full Moon Bay, Ba Sing Se, and even this town were locations he'd never heard of before. He didn't let the disappointment get to him, Xue had mentioned Ba Sing Se was a metropolis with people coming in from all corners of the world. With any luck, he'd find his way home from there.

With this thought in mind, he set out alongside the old woman into this vast world that was not his own.

* * *

><p><strong>AN**: D: Wow...I got a lot of Story Alerts...

I suddenly feel self-conscious...I feel this chapter is kinda choppy...and maybe a bit rushed...

Anyway, this is gonna start up a bit slow, but I hope it's worth it. ;A; I'm planning somewhere around 10-13 chapters and, really, the romance aspect will be a bit slow as well. D: God, I'm lame...As stated in the summary, this _will_ eventually be Zuko/Naruto...And that boy will appear next chapter. :3


	3. Exiled Prince Zuko

"Konoha?" Xue repeated. The fire between her and Naruto illuminated her pale face and made her appear ethereal. "I've never heard of it..." She confessed, and Naruto's eyes slowly opened from their slits. He was surprised, Xue had confided of her history as a soldier during her younger days and how she'd often travel during different battles. "I know many cities and towns," She poked the kindle with a stick. "But Konoha..." She sighed. "Even the very word sounds...foreign to me." Awkward silence enveloped them until, eventually, she placed her empty plate down and stood up from her place on the ground. "It's late." She stretched. "And we have an early day tomorrow, we should sleep."

Naruto didn't protest as she reached over and ruffled his blond locks before retreating into her beddings. It had been a long day and tomorrow, Xue promised, would be just as long despite Full Moon Bay being only a few hours away. Because of the war, she explained, the world was in a state of paranoia and ports into Ba Sing Se were heavily guarded.

Naruto hadn't any idea there _was_a war...He was very far from home indeed.

With a heavy heart, he gathered their used dishes, rinsed them off in the river they had set up camp by and returned to the fireside, willing to take the first watch to avoid any robber's greedy attempts.

The stars, he noted, were at least the same.

oOo

Naruto was shaken awake a few hours before sunrise. He yawned and stretched, working out the knots that had settled in from sleeping on the ground. He'd expected his share of chores this morning, but Xue simply shoved a pork bun in his hands and stuffed their blankets into her traveling bag.

Once done, it was still obvious that someone had camped there, but Xue didn't seem concerned about being followed. Then again, Xue wasn't a ninja who had to concern herself with being attacked. Satisfied with this, Naruto dashed after her once he realized she'd begun walking without him.

By the time the sun rose, they stood among the many refugees looking to make a better life. This wasn't the first time Naruto had seen a large group uprooted and forced to a new location, but it was just as moving. "Why don't they fight back?" He didn't know that Xue had heard him as she kept walking, her eyes scanning the many booth attendants and lines. He was about to repeat himself when she finally spoke. "Many have, but without hope and with so much death...It becomes easier to retreat." She sighed, the war obviously having touched her on a deep level. "Why'd you stop fighting? You still seem fit."

Xue patted his shoulder. "I had my reasons."

Finally, Xue found the line she was looking for. It was longer than the others, and it was the furthest one from the entrance but, Naruto hoped, it would be worth the time. He chose not to keep talking, thinking Xue's had her rights to secrecy, but he did intend to ask about it someday. As far as he could tell, she'd had no reason to quit fighting. She'd eloped and had a kid, but he knew many women that continued their careers after their children were old enough to be away from their side.

Then again, he'd been secretive about himself too. He'd told her he was a skilled fighter, and that he thought he'd been abducted, or possibly transported- Xue raised an eyebrow, but didn't ask- he didn't know which was the case.

"You can go rest." Xue offered after a while. Naruto looked to the people around, sitting against the walls and entertaining themselves with stories and music. "Nah, it's fine." Naruto grinned. "I'll be fine." Xue didn't speak for a while after that and Naruto filled the time by watching the musicians fill the air with their songs.

Before he realized, they were at the ticket booth. "Passports, please." Said a bored looking middle aged man with thinning black hair and deep set hazel eyes. Xue placed her paperwork down on the counter, along with a single circular piece of wood, a white lotus was delicately painted on it's varnished surface. "Two?" The question was clearly a formality, as he'd stamped the tickets and handed them, along with Xue's possessions, over before the old woman had a chance to answer. "Thank you." She said instead and moved along.

The ferry was a small affair, just as crowded as the port but a lot more relaxed. Xue patted Naruto's shoulder before excusing herself and sitting to the side, her eyes turned towards the sea.

"That's quiet an unusual hair color." Naruto turned to the new voice. It's owner, an old man. There was nothing impressive about him...Other than that pot belly he was carting around, but even then, Naruto knew not to let his guard down around strangers that seem weak. Wait! Why did everyone think he had weird hair? Naruto narrowed his eyes at the fat man.

"Now, calm down, young man." He put up his hands as if to show no opposition. "I was only making conversation."

Naruto opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted. "Are you giving my escort a time, old friend?" Xue was still seated but her voice, kind and joking, carried over to them easily. Fat man laughed, a sound that originated from somewhere in his gut and shook his body. "Hardly, my Lady Xue. Merely admiring his golden hair. Not too common, is it?"

Xue smiled at that.

"I've heard stories of a princess with _silver_hair." She stood and made her way over to the pair. "Gold shouldn't be _too_ out of place."

Naruto, tired of being ignore, cleared his throat and interjected. "Who is this man?"

"Oh!" Xue's hands flew to her lips, as if surprised at her lack of manners. "Naruto, this man and I have known each other for almost my whole adult life-" "Mushi." The man helped along. "Blessed Xue's union to her husband and been in good correspondence ever since."

"Mushi." Xue continued on. "This is Naruto. He's making sure I stay safe until I reach Ba Sing Se."

Mushi glanced over Naruto, his sharp eyes easily analyzing the boy's qualifications. Naruto knew this because this wasn't the first time it has happened. "I can guard her, Naruto, if you'd like to explore the ferry. Adventure is good for a budding mind."

Naruto hesitated, only Xue's insistence eased him into walking around. "Maybe you'll meet my nephew!" Mushi called after him. "He's with some new friends."

He really didn't care to meet anyone else. He didn't need the added ties to this land that would make leaving that much harder.

As Naruto looked around, he noted the curious looks. They weren't hateful like they had been back home, but they were just as uncomfortable. Odd hair...Naruto thought to himself. Out of all the people here, he noted the lack of much variation. Most, if not all those here, had a range of browns to black, but none had anything lighter than that.

In his thoughts, he didn't notice the older teen he'd walked into. For all he knew, it might as well had been a wall that had flung him back onto his rear. "Ow..." Naruto rubbed his sore butt and began to apologize. The face that he was met with, however, was stuck somewhere between irritation and disinterest. "Sorry, I wasn't...watching where I was going..." He muttered, unsure how this would progress.

"Jet?" Another, younger, teen touched the first one's forearm. His (her?) voice breaking Jet out of his stupor. "It's fine." He chewed on the end of a bit of long grass. "We're all on the same side here, right?"

Naruto hoped so, at least, and he picked himself up. "I'm Naruto, by the way." He grinned and linked his fingers behind his head. "Jet." He introduced himself, although it was obvious by now, he then pointed at the second teen. "That's Smellerbee. Longshot-" The tallest of the group nodded a greeting at the blond. "-And Lee."

Lee was slightly apart from the group as if he didn't care much for them, or he'd just joined. His solemn expression and scowl were a stark contrast to the Lee Naruto knew back home, but even just that familiarity was refreshing. "Hi, Lee." Naruto beamed at the stoic looking guy. He barely looked up.

"If you'll excuse us, Naruto." Jet stole another glance at the said boy's hair before turning away. "We've things to do."

oOo

Naruto lay awake that night. The ferry hadn't much room, and most passengers chose to sleep on the deck, under the stars.

This was where he slept as well.

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><p>So, I've been gone for almost a year. Jegus! I'm so sorry, you guys…if any of you even care to read this, my laptop died shortly after posting the previous chapter and I <em>just<em> got a new-to-me one. Let's hope I can continue on with this story.

To all y'all who've been faving, alerting and reviewing, thank you! I love you! :) And I'm so sorry if this chapter is kinda lame. I'm rethinking the plot...Blah...


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